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Monday, June 13, 2016

The Totally New Google Sites

Out of all the major Google tools, most people would agree that Google Sites has been the most overdue for an update. Yes, it is one of my favorite programs, and I have used it extensively to design websites, and I have created loads of training videos and guides for it (see here for details). Still though, when compared to most modern web design tools, Google Sites has fallen far behind its competition.

Google Sites actually started out its life as a product called JotSpot which Google purchased in 2006 and then finally released in 2008 as Google Sites. Over time Google has added new features to the underlying JotSpot code (such as the horizontal navigation bar) but the foundation was still a ten year old product with new options built on top. This prevented Sites from being able to act like newer web design tools with drag and drop editing, layouts that respond to mobile devices, and such.

Rather than another update, Sites needed to be rebuilt from the ground up.

And now it appears that is exactly what Google is doing! In a recent post on the Google Apps Updates blog, they have announced a “totally rebuilt” Google Sites is coming. This is fantastic news for schools, organizations, and individuals who need to create websites but were struggling with Sites lack of updates and modern features.

So what can we expect with the new Google Sites? And when can you get access to it? See below for all the details I have been able to collect on this new announcement.Update (December 2016)

Since I originally posted this information, we now all have access to the new version of Google Sites. I have put together a one-hour walk through tutorial video explaining all the new features and how to create a sample classroom website with the new Google Sites. You can see the video below, and can check out more details in my new post: The All New Google Sites for Schools

What’s New?

Although not a lot of details have been released yet, below are the key new features Google has revealed for Sites:

Drag and Drop - In the current version of Sites all editing is done through drop down menus, or changing settings in pop-up windows, or even directly editing the HTML code. The new version of Sites promises simple drag and drop editing. This should apply to adding new content to your Site, as well as rearranging items, and hopefully adjusting the properties of images and other media. If done right this should act and feel much like placing and editing content on a Google Slide.

Real-time Collaboration - Currently you can have multiple editors for a Google Site, but only one person can edit a specific page at a time. Once I start editing a page, Sites locks that page so no one else can make changes until I save my work and exit the edit mode. The new version of Sites claims to have real-time collaboration by multiple editors. This should function just like having several people in a Google Doc where everyone can work together live, making changes at the same time.

Responsive Design - One of the most common complaints about the current version of Sites is its inability to display well on screens other than a standard computer monitor. What looks good on your desktop or laptop, should also adjust to smaller screen such as phones and tablets, without the need for unnecessary scrolling or resizing. This is what we can responsive web design. The new version of Sites includes includes new “themes and layouts designed to scale and flex to any screen size”. As more and more students (and adults) consume their content through a mobile phone, it is critical that schools can create Sites that will function well on all devices.

More - According to Google’s blog post, they have “a lot more in store for ... Google Sites”. We will have to wait to see what these other features will be, but hopefully they will include an option for full-features blogging, with user comments and proper social media integration, rather than the quite limited “Announcement Page” in the current Sites.

When and how to get it?

Google says the new version of Sites is already being tested with a small group of customers, and they are now extending access to new people through an Early Adopter Program. I applied for access through my Google Apps domain and am waiting to hear back. Below are the details for how you can apply for early access as well:

If this is your first time there, you will fill out a brief profile screen.

Finally you will be presented with a Google Form to fill out to request access to the Early Adopter Program.

If your Google Apps domain is added to the program you will have access to the new version to create new Google Sites. However this will not impact any previously existing Sites you have created. Those will still be accessible as normal and you will be able to edit and share them as before with the old Sites program.

For those not in the Early Adopter Program, it sounds like everyone else will get the new version of Sites over the next year, if not sooner. In their blog post, Google mentioned that the current version of Sites will still function for at least one year, and eventually there will be a process for migrating old Sites to the new platform.

Conclusion

Although it means having to redo a whole lot of help guides and training videos, I am very excited to hear about the new version of Google Sites. Sites can be a great tool for students to demonstrate their learning, build a portfolio, collaborate with peers, share their writings, and create a positive digital footprint. I am looking forward to seeing the educational impact a new version of Sites can have on teaching and learning in our schools.

What are you hoping to see in the new version of Sites? Share any ideas or info you have in the comments below.

106 comments:

Been waiting for this update for a WHILE! Sites has always seemed to lag behind the other products and been put on the back burner. Hopefully this new version makes a more viable option for people to learn quickly and integrates seamlessly with all our other Google products.

Thank you for the update. I am happy to hear there will be a process for migrating old sites and that there is time built in before switching them over. As always, I appreciate all the work you put in to inform and educate others!

Hmmm, I doubt it. They would need to provide a migration process for Blogger to New Sites, like they are doing for Old Sites to New Sites. I doubt the New Sites would 100% match Blogger for a migration to be possible. Will be interesting to see!

As the tech director at a small college, I have more than 2000 students building GoogleSites as their e.Portfolio from custom templates. I am a bit anxious to see the new GoogleSites migration system. How long will 'old' sites be workable? This is a great step forward... and I welcome it but I am also wondering what my next steps will be to rebuild, transfer, and migrate so many users' work.

Spoke to a Google rep and they said the old sites will be around until the end of this school year for sure. I would imagine that's a fluid deadline, as they need to have the migration tool ready to go first.

I feel Sites has incredible potential - especially from an education standpoint! The ability to add Drive files with just a few clicks makes work presentation and digital portfolios possible!

One feature that is desperately needed is the ability to password-protect a page. Right now, you cannot easily post student images without them being available to anyone. Sharing to specific people just doesn't work when it's a whole grade of students. Weebly allows this, but, of course, you have to pay. Adding this would be huge to Google in their GAFE market..

I agree with Alice - thank you for your work and sharing and I'm too VERY excited and positive about this change! I hope it will integrate with Google Classroom. Right now my class sites are links in the About section of my Google Classroom

The certification exams will still use the current (old) Google Sites for now. The new Sites is still in beta, so it will be a while before it is available to everyone, and even then Google says the old Sites will function for another year.

I have a cadre taking on the Google Essentials exams this week (last batch before the new certification track!) I can tell you that the current Sites exam is not only what Google is already calling "Classic" Sites, but also includes some questions on the old Classic sites. :)

I was looking into the new Google Sites. Do you know if there is a way to sign up to Beta test for Google Sites for Education? It seems it is being advertised for Google Sites for Work. I am very interested in trying it out as I am starting a new position in a school district as Tech Integrator. The staff is very interested in Google Sites, but I want to present the newest version! Thanks!

Very very excited to real this news. Great article by the way. So, some things I'd love to see on the new Sites:- ability to create site templates- ability to generate sites in bulk from templates and assign to students and track through something like site maestro - an iOS app to build the sites directly on a tablet or at least be nicely operable in chrome's tablet browser - throw a QR code generator on along with the custom site urlThat said, I'm just totally happy with the Sites update written about here.

It is still in beta now, so they are just starting to provide early access for some domains to test it out. Even when the new Sites does roll out for the public, Google states that the old version will continue to work for at least another year.

Eric--As always, you are quite thorough and your perspective is valuable. I too have applied. For several years we've been wondering what would happen with sites (we even had a bet whether or not Google would buy Weebly), and our teams are thrilled that Google has not abandoned this "lost child" of the Google Apps! See you at ISTE?

Eric-- thanks for the update. We use Sites for teacher websites along with Google Classroom and as our district website. I'm excited for this he mobile aspect and I hope migrating old sites works well.

Just got early access and began to build my new site. It is very limited and I got frustrated and stopped. I hope there is more coming. I tried to replicate my current site, but the editing options are few and over simplified. It will be great for my grandma, but not so much for my classroom. I will run my current site as a primary and keep my fingers crossed for lots of improvements.

I'm with you. I find the new site useless for my (and my student's) needs. The new site is pretty but powerless. Like sending a 3-year old to run a marathon. Whats worse; none of the paid web site developers have even half the component and design choices as the original google sites--ie. sub page listings.

Let's not even talk about the hundreds of hours I have invested developing my Google sites over the past 4 years that have now proven to be wasted!!

I would have been happy to pay to continue my current sites. I have to pay now for a lesser site builder any way.

This is not the first time google has suddenly stopped a product I had invested time and trust in! I intend to follow Google's example and begin my own slow pull-back from Google altogether. Including all my paid for services!!

So I got access through my GAFE domain to use the NEW Google Sites, but when I go in to create another site, it doesn't give me this option... Any words of advice to get it? I don't want to use the old version if I need to create a site; I'd rather use the new Sites option.

So I got access through my GAFE domain to use the NEW Google Sites, but when I go in to create another site, it doesn't give me this option... Any words of advice to get it? I don't want to use the old version if I need to create a site; I'd rather use the new Sites option.

Google the most well known web search tool was into utilization for more than century. It is the top most internet searcher utilized by ever client of the planet. The work on Google started in 1995 by Larry page and Sergey, its name was settled on the scientific term for speaking to by the numerical 1 took after 100 zeros. https://800support.net/google-latest-news/googles-new-launch/

I suggest GOOGLE uses for friendly Shorter home page addresses . For today a site appears like http://sites.google.com/site/idmssql/ . Clumsy With te Word 'site' appearing two times in the address! Why not make it as simple as http://idmssql.google.com/ or https://www.google.com/idmssql/ or at least http://sites.google.com/idmssql/

Kirby, yes that has already been added to the new version of Sites. You are able to share edit rights with other users. At the moment though they have not added page-level permissions, so the edit rights are for the entire Site, not just for specific pages (like you can do in "Classic" Sites).

Thanks for your quick response, Eric. A few other questions remain: (1) Will you be able to subscribe to page changes? (2) Will the annoucement-style page format allowing blog-like posting remain? (3) Will the "Classic" engine remain available for existing sites?

New sites is looking good so far but is lacking the following key features (unless I have missed them)

- Page level permissions. A MUST for school based sites that contain learning material- Templates. Key to quickly creating larger sites.- Twitter feed embed. I don't belive you can even embed like you can on the "old" Google Sites.- Search bar- ?!

The "New" Google Sites feels more like a blogging tool to me at the moment.

By the end of November I belive the "new sites" will be rolled out, with the "old sites" being active still.Sometime in 2018 I belive old sites are to be turned off. Google will document the migration once the "new sites" has the same functionality as the old sites.

Do those other ones have security built into every page? And free hosting? I think Google expects that if you want those things you mention then edit code or hire a developer. Maybe they'll roll out cool things like that too that would be awesome..but i think sites has always really been designed as "website as collaboration space" rather than mainly to produce a consumable feed. Bringing those together is very much needed so i am stoked

Disappointed with new sites. I was trying to have subpages... doesn't appear to be an option yet. Very limited templates and page options. Surely google don't want all their pages looking exactly the same. Maybe this is why classic sites can't be migrated yet?

I cannot add my html code for adsense in new google site. Further i cant hide a sub-page in title bar in case if i wish to reach that page only by a link within the body. It is mandatory to see the sub-page at the top bar. Its annoying.

From what I have done so far, I absolutely love the new sites. It is missing a number of items but I can see them being added over time, it is not holding me back. I was surprised that I could not embed a blog, but some embeds do work (sound cloud, flickr and the Google Docs set. One issue I do have is figuring how to set the URL to www.mydomain.com (I had this with the old sites)

I'm also interested in how to set the URL to www.mydomain.com. When will the new Sites offer this feature (was available in classic Sites). It's essential for many of us. Are there alternative methods?

This is exactly what I am trying to discover. I just made a template site and while I can share it with another user, that user can't "make a copy" or "duplicate" and i do not have a "make template" option. Does anyone know how to do this?

From reading comments, it seems things may be changing quickly from October to January... but still some basic features missing. I would like to add a "Search" field and button (which I thought was basic for "Google" and was in last edition of "Sites"). But ease of use is good and going in the right direction... just many features missing at this point.

Thanks for your help. When will they allow us to change to a different url on the new Google Sites? Currently, it includes google in the url, which does not work for many of us. Is there an alternative method that is currently available to change the url, perhaps through domain name hosting company?

Should I be worried about migration problems? Lots of migration tools from one platform to another do such a bad job that it's better to do the whole thing from scratch. And it seems that the new version is so different than the old one that one should actually expect such problems. I actually don't want to be forced to redo everything if (or when) the classic version of Google Sites shuts down.

I'm very new at building web sites, teaching myself as I go, and my first stab at it was with the new Google Sites (I wasn't even aware of the Classic Sites). While I found it fairly easy and fast to get a functional site up and running I soon ran into many limitations. Shortly after that I discovered the Classic Sites and I abandoned everything I had done on the new sites in favor of the Classic version.To me, the new Sites is very limited and the end product seemed, for lack of a better word, childish in appearance and function.As I mentioned, I'm no expert but that has been my experience so far.